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Buildings & Appliances Office

The Residential Buildings and Appliances Unit encourages high quality and cost effective energy efficient homes through outreach and regulatory programs.

Regulatory

Since energy efficiency building and appliance regulations went
into effect in 1978, the Energy Commission estimates that Californians have
reduced their utility bills by at least $15.8 billion. The Commission predicts
that by the year 2011, residents of the state will save an additional $43
billion in energy costs.

Energy Efficiency Standards
for Residential Buildings ensure that all new buildings in California meet
the minimum energy requirements set in Title 24, Part 6 of the California Code of
Regulations. Changes to the standards occur periodically to account for
improvements in conservation technologies, changes in the cost of fuels and
energy-conserving strategies, and improved capabilities in analyzing building
energy performance.

Nonresidential Buildings Standards initiates, develops and
operates statewide programs designed to improve the efficient use of
energy in the nonresidential buildings sector. This sector includes a
wide range of building types, such as high-rise office complexes,
commercial retail stores, schools, hospitals, and government facilities.
The multi-disciplined staff of engineers, analysts, and energy program
specialists provides the technical skills needed to analyze the complex
engineering, program delivery and market transformation issues affecting
this sector. The staff also identify and evaluate research and
development opportunities for efficiency end-use technologies. In
addition, the staff respond to public inquiries regarding nonresidential
energy efficiency policy issues and technical problems. Major
programs include:

New Construction Programs - developing,
maintaining, and supporting Title 24 nonresidential building efficiency
standards; coordination with national organizations, including
Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, and the American
Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-conditioning Engineers, on
developing national consensus standards; identifying and facilitating
opportunities for market-based programs which encourage the efficient
use of energy in new nonresidential buildings.

Efficiency
Services Programs - developing and operating state-funded technical
and financial assistance programs which improve the efficient use of
energy in existing buildings in the public education and local
government market sectors; identifying and facilitating opportunities
for market-based programs which encourage the efficient use of energy in
existing nonresidential buildings.

Appliance Efficiency Standards assure consumers
that any appliance they purchase in California meets a minimum level of
efficiency. The Energy Commission's appliance database, the most comprehensive
collection of appliance efficiency data in one place, contains more than 228,000
appliance models that meet either state or federal efficiency levels.

Outreach

Helping California consumers make economically efficient and
informed energy choices is a goal of the Residential Buildings and Appliance
Office. Ongoing outreach Programs.

Let homeowners know
that energy efficiency helps provide them with healthy, comfortable and safe
homes with more affordable energy bills.

Help the building and remodeling
industry see an increase in sales, more and higher valued loans, satisfied
customers, and reduced liability.